UFC 285: Main Event Three Best Prop Bets
UFC 285: MAIN EVENT THREE BEST PROP BETS – Two belts will be on the line Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Jon “Bones” Jones will attempt to gain the heavyweight strap against Ciryl Gane, and Valentina Shevchenko will defend her belt against Alexa Grasso. The stacked PPV card will start at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
Jones is coming into this fight after a long layoff, not fighting since February 2020, when he last defended his light heavyweight belt against Dominick Reyes.
He has added a lot of weight while bulking up to prepare for the heavyweight division. His strength and conditioning coach, Stan Efferding, says he will weigh 240 pounds on fight night and still perform at the same level with one exception: more power.
Ciryl Gane challenged Francis Ngannou for the belt in 2022 and lost, but has since followed that loss with a knockout victory over Tai Tuivasa.
He is undoubtedly the more active fighter entering this fight, but he must earn the title.
Jones is one of the best fighters to ever step inside the octagon, and Gane will have to respect him even if Jones is rusty. Gane may have the slight advantage while standing in this bout, but he will have to prove his takedown defense to stay out of a fight similar to his loss to Ngannou.
Under 3.5 Total Rounds +140
Jones is a much better wrestler than Ciryl Gane. Gane would have to have taken massive strides in his wrestling game since January last year when Ngannou landed four of five takedowns and had eight and a half minutes of control time.
Jones has beaten Daniel Cormier and taken him down multiple times at light heavyweight. Cormier is as good as it gets at wrestling in MMA. Jones should be able to get Gane on his back to hurt his vicious ground and pound.
Ngannou went the distance with Gane, but only landed 71 strikes throughout. Gane has gone to decision in a five-round fight at heavyweight, but Jones has not in his current physique.
Jones is an active fighter when on top of his opponents and one of the most creative fighters.
He will look to land more volume and punishment than Ngannou did. “Bones” has been in five-round bouts for most of his career, and his average fight time is just shy of 15 and a half minutes. It would not be surprising to see him finish Gane in this fight.
Jones to win by KO/TKO/DQ +330
Jones is a problem for opponents when he begins to ground and pound them. He did not use it much in his most recent fights, but displayed ground dominance in his second win over Alexander Gustafsson.
He constantly attempts to gain a better position and land damage when on top. Gane’s striking is his most dangerous weapon, and Jones’ game plan is likely to wrestle to avoid Gane’s strength.
Gane’s reach is 81 inches, and Jones’ is 84.5 inches which should be noticeable on the feet and the ground.
Jones has effective wrist control and lands heavy shots with his other hand. He is a creative striker and lands short elbows that are unorthodox.
Gane cannot lay on his back as he did against Ngannou Jones and will make him pay for not attempting to get to his feet.
Jones to win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission +225
Jon is capable of submissions, as he has six in his career and multiple in championship fights, so covering all the bases is not a bad idea.
Gane has not been submitted in his career but is only 11-1 in MMA. Assuming Jones will wrestle in this fight, it is not crazy to believe he could find a choke or submission while on the mat.
Gane has won by submission twice in the UFC, and one was a heel hook, which proves his grappling is not to be ignored.
If Jones starts damaging Gane on the ground, his defense could worsen. Jones is a veteran with a 26-1 (1 NC) record and will pounce on an opportunity to secure the victory if Gane presents it.